Boots faces morning-after pill cost row

Boots has been accused of refusing to cut the cost of one of its morning-after pills for fear of criticism from campaigners. The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides abortion care, wants Boots and other pharmacies to reduce the cost of emergency contraception Levonelle. BPAS lobbied Boots to reduce the cost of the pill to make it more accessible for women having difficulty getting the drug quickly on the NHS. Clare Murphy, BPAS director of external affairs, said: "Most people believe women should be able to access emergency contraception from pharmacies at an affordable price." "But the chief pharmacist at Boots UK, Marc Donovan, said:"In our experience, the subject of polarises public opinion and we receive frequent contact from individuals who voice their disapproval of the fact that [Boots] chooses to provide this service. MP Yvette Cooper told Boots on Twitter: "This is patronising and pathetic - keeping emergency contraception price too high cos you don't trust women and are scared of critics."